Hi everyone! I've been a long time lurker of Just Bento and finally decided to join the forum community. I guess I've always been a bit of a bento-er all my life but I never knew it. My mom would sometimes pack me lunch in a cute little bento box when I was in elementary school, but the ridicule was so much that I switched back to sandwiches for the rest of elementary and high school. In university, I had a meal plan so I never needed to pack lunches. It wasn't until I started working that I started to make bentos again, and love the fact that I can cook extra during dinner and use the leftovers for lunch. I never figured out that the word "bento" was exactly what I was doing. I just figured I was "packing a lunch". Heh. I work as a nurse, so the long shfits (12 hrs!) require some extra food to get me through. I'm looking forward to trying out some of Maki's recipes. They always look so tasty!